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Haynes, Ellen

Abstract

One adult female Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) and one adult female Red Wolf (Canis lupus
rufus) presented to the National Wildlife Health Center in November 2012 for necropsy. The older female Gray Wolf had elevations in the epiglottic cartilage, penetrating thoracic trauma, and gritty foci in the lungs. Histology of the epiglottis revealed foci of ossification in the elastic cartilage layer. Both the epiglottal and lung lesions were classified as osseous metaplasia. The cause of death was penetrating thoracic trauma, presumptively from intraspecific aggression. Necropsy findings on the Red Wolf, a 4.5 year old female, included bony nodules bilaterally on the medial radii and lateral metatarsals, a heavy burden of heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) in the right heart and caudal vena cava, subcutaneous hemorrhage along the left neck and thorax, and heavy scavenging of the abdomen. Radiographs and histology revealed periosteal new bone formation at the bony lesions. Blunt trauma was the presumptive cause of death, with incidental hypertrophic osteopathy secondary to heartworm disease.